http://www.dennis-carpenter.com

Try these guys they have everything Cushman

 

I've been all over the Cushman sales sites thinking I might score some sort of manual that might have measurements illustrated,but that hasn't panned out too well.

I've even joined several Cushman forums thinking someone might have one and be willing to take a few basic measurements,but so far nada. I'm not expecting blueprints (although that would be nice:laugh or even drawings...just basic measurements...length,width,a few swingarm measurements and front doghouse measurements for the main chassis and some measurements for the forks.

These things are a lot more basic than an Eagle and should be very simple to replicate. I have plans & drawings from Mechanics Illustrated that are close enough to fabricate a scooter similar to a Cushman. It was designed to replicate a Cushman except everything is bolted together and made out of angle iron so someone in the 40's-50's could build it without a welder or bender... I have both

Thanks for the thought though... hopefully someone on here has one or a friend that has one..:waving:

 

Have you tried this guy. He seems addicted........:jester:

http://www.hobbytech.com/

 

Hey mudbug
here is some fodder to look at, might help a little
www.scribd.com/doc/3092924/super-scooter-by-mechanix-illustrated

 

Thanks Guys... been to both those places years ago... I've had those plans for many moons...As a matter of fact I saw them sell not long ago on Ebay for $22 to some poor soul.

The plans are helpful,but I need actual measurements from a real scooter so things like axles,brakes,wheels,fenders might at least have a slim chance of fitting.

I could use those plans to build a one-off scooter,but that would mean fabricating everything from scratch. That's something I'd like to avoid if I can although it appears that's what I'm going to have to do.:waving:

 

Reverse engineer it. Buy your parts and then build the frame around them.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just use the pics of the scooter for reference.

 

Now that's tackling the problem the hard way..... I'll eventually find an owner that has one and that's willing to take a few minutes and measure a few points and share them.

I'm actually surprised no one here has one or has access to one... This isn't a get it done this week project so I can hold off until I locate the information...who knows...I may find a frame for sale first and take my own measurements.

I've found a few on ebay,but the owners didn't want to ship or I got outbid at the last moment on one. These aren't the most desirable form of Cushman scooters and I'm surprised it's so difficult to find info on them...

 

with todays computers and stuff maybe a pic then let a program brake it down
blueprint from a picture sooooooooo easy
now we need a good picture and length-width- height or a scale to work from

 

This is as close to a line drawing as I've come so far... and there is no starting point because there are no measurements....If you click the image it enlarges BTW (you can then click <prev or next> at the top to view other pics of that scooter)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/howard33/4381987307/in/set-72157621813854467

Frame width..frame length & bend angle for the footwell (or measurements) plus swing arm measurements & front footwell measurements and the frame is easy..

Pretty basic fork assembly as well a few measurements and very simple fabrication.

I'm gona skin this cat...It just might take some time to find the measurements required...:waving:

 

looks like you have more than enough information to get what you need, IF you know what that the size of the wheel rims are.

 

How can I have what I need ? I don't have the first measurement only a line drawing with NO measurements at all. I was stating what measurements would be required to attempt to construct a scooter...NOT what I have.:laugh:

Any attempt at construction would be a guess at best and a fiasco more likely. I'll eventually find an owner that will share measurements....or fall back on the vintage scooter plans I have stored that were distributed by Mechanics Illustrated.

 

I rode one of those to school in Naples Fla 1959.
Got hit by a big beetle in the forehead once almost knocked me off it.
No helmet laws back then.:jester:

 

Well who knew ? How about a reproduction Cushman II ...

http://www.kjackmotors.com/site/P02/w02.htm

 

This guy lost his assembly manual I think

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxspring/1655748397/

But the result was pretty good..:waving:

 

"This guy lost his assembly manual I think"

No,No I beleive thats a Cushley Davidman

Felon:drinkup:

 

IF you know a basic measurement you can build to scale.

 

That's the problem... With no sense of scale and NO measurements at all to start with, trying to fabricate is almost impossible.... I could build a similar scooter easy enough since I have plans for a homebuilt version... Kinda close isn't quite the same as an accurate replica.

I'm supposed to receive frame measurements from a gentleman that actually has one of these,but I don't have them yet. He was kind enough to contact me and offer to measure his bare frame and send me the measurements. It's only been a couple of days since he emailed me and certainly have no intention of crowding him since he was generous enough to offer his help.

I emailed him a list of what I thought might be required to replicate a basic frame ....we'll wait and see how this works out and if it doesn't we'll try another direction. I'm sure glad this isn't a major priority that requires immediate attention. I would have never suspected this could be so involved... 12-15 measurements could be measured in less time than it would take to type them into an email. What surprised me even more is that there seems to not be a single shred of information on this subject anywhere online. These scooters ceased production over 50 years ago and no one thought to measure or draw them in that time frame...very odd:dizzy:

Thanks for the discussion and hopefully I'll have the required information in a few weeks (or less). I'm still actively looking for parts or perhaps a stripped frame until something materializes along these lines.:waving:

 

here is a start, wheels are 4.75 x 7.75 in. so the wheel is 7 3/4 "
I will keep thinking

 

now if you have a side and top view of the bike you can take the 7.750 and scale it out. How many wheels is the wheel base long? divide that by 7.750 and you should have the number in inches.

Use grid paper and have one grid be one inch, what more do you need to know? .

 

I'm sure you have seen this site... I know it's not the scooter style... but he built a "Notta Cushman" (Not A Cushman?) from scratch and has a bunch of links and a bunch of build photos that may be inspiring.
http://dandewebs.tripod.com/index.htm
http://dandewebs.tripod.com/photoalbum/frame/frame.htm

Because Cushman made so many models... is anything really authentic?

Now I have to add a Cushman to my build list... but when I do it will be diesel

 

:laugh: Too many Toys..So little time (& money) :laugh:

Yeah..I've seen his site he did real well on those.

Riceburner... I could do as you suggest,but that's time consuming and not real accurate and I've got dozens of examples to draw from... Seriously if I can't obtain the measurements I'll buy a frame and replicate it as well as draw out the measurements. I took enough shop & architectural drafting courses back when schools actually taught something that drafting the plans isn't the issue accuracy is.

I've got measured plans already,but they are just a bit off the size of a real scooter and I want to be as close as possible to an actual Cushman....not kinda close.

 

And the axle is how long ? Front? Rear? Diameter of axle? hub? Tire diameter? Spacing required for the Brake drum?

These ALL have to be addressed plus many more if you wing it and start from scratch with no concept of how it all fits together. ALL those issues become non issues IF you use logic and measure a real scooter and replicate a Cushman frame....then Cushman parts will fit that replicated frame and any subsequent repair parts that might be required don't require a machine shop to fabricate them in a one off situation which can get expensive.

It's rather silly to attempt to re-invent the wheel when it's far simpler and more logical to just obtain the required measurements and build something that only requires the correct parts to be functional.

I could have already just built a frame & forks from pictures and the set of homebuilt scooter plans I have. I could buy the Cushman parts and come close guessing while back engineering the entire scooter,but don't you guys think that's a rather more difficult approach to doing this. :laugh:

I've got plenty of things to do without generating many hours of excess development time into back engineering a scooter...that with the measurements ought to be buildable in a day or two...but might require a week or two otherwise.:laugh:

Sweat equity in 100* plus temps is far harder to justify than intellectual equity spent compiling the required information prior to jumping into a hobby project. I'll eventually find this information if I have to buy a frame and generate plans myself...(then I'll have two!)

I really thought someone might have one or have a friend that owned one and be helpfull enough to spend 30 min. measuring and sharing some information. I'm fairly confident this isn't rocket science or a major expenditure of sweat equity ....just a few overall measurements.

BTW... I already have everything except the frame and axles & brakes.... I even have several types & sizes of wheels & tires and several motor options...

Here's a general fabrication question about this... The rear portion as well as the rear swingarm are both curved and I want to use 2" channel iron for their fabrication.... If I find the correct width these need to be I'm thinking of bending these parts around a large pipe the correct diameter to shape them.

Has anyone bent 2"x 3/4" channel iron around (I'm guessing) about 8-10" radius to shape these parts and if so what would you suggest to form these parts ?

 

forhire you might enjoy this it's a two wheel drive hydrostatic drive offroad scooter...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csheFaxdSgI[/ame]

The guy that built is has built several "unusual" vehicles including one of the first Diesel motorcycles ...his site is interesting

 

forhire you might enjoy this it's a two wheel drive hydrostatic drive offroad scooter...

The guy that built is has built several "unusual" vehicles including one of the first Diesel motorcycles ...his site is interesting

Great... now I'll have to make it two wheel drive... maybe with some floating wheels like the Rokon Cool stuff!!!

This is a frame listed forsale $230 on cushmanclubofamerica.com.
http://www.cushmanclubofamerica.com/buyselltrade/cforsale.html

riceburner... maybe this side profile picture will work for getting the basic dimension

 

If you look closer you'll notice that was listed in May of 2010 ....long time ago...I looked at that a month ago.

The problem is if it's any distance away from your location you're talking a bunch of bucks to ship a frame that's 6' to 7' long...more than the purchase price. I've found several...the owners were unwilling to ship or I was unwilling to pay the freight.

hydraulicinnovations is a pretty interesting place...those guys think way outside the box. I've been an email friend of Jeff's since before he started the website. Right after he designed & built that outrageous hydrostatic drive diesel powered big bike he rides.. If it wasn't the very first one it was one of the very first bikes of that type...

There are some really interesting machines being built around there for those that are into innovation. Personally I like his Reverse Trike project..

 

For hire, yes it would.

 

If you have a drawing like that from the side, you are downtown.